1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a monitor for a planting machine and, more particularly, to a monitor for providing real-time information about the performance of one or more dispensing units on a farm implement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Planting machines, such as row-crop planters and grain drills, are widely used in the agricultural industry to provide a mechanized and quick manner of dispensing seeds, grain and the like material over a tract of land. Such machines generally are provided with a plurality of dispensing units carried on a single frame for simultaneously dispensing the material over a plurality of uniform rows. Electronic monitors coupled to the dispensing units by way of appropriate sensors, are well known in the art for providing the farmer with a reasonable means to monitor the dispensing process and ensure against over and under distribution.
Monitors provide a way to observe seed population planted by each planting or dispensing unit, as well as by the planting machine as a whole. A conventional electronic monitor is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,930 to Steffen. The Steffen monitor is a microprocessor based controller system coupled to a user accessible control interface, and operating in accordance with a predetermined program, to sequentially receive and store seed population data with regard to all or select rows of a multi-row seed planter. Seed population monitoring involves determining the number of seeds planted by each planting machine, the ground speed of the planting machine, the number of rows being planted, and the row width or spacing between rows.
The Steffen monitor is provided with a serial scanning non-multitasking architecture which stores multiplexed data from respective seed sensors simultaneously in associated memory locations therewith. Because the scanning process is sequential rather than asynchronous, there is no true real-time processing of seed population data. The accuracy of the monitor is significantly compromised particularly at high seed distribution rates.
Furthermore, because the programming language of the Steffen monitor is in assembly code, a cumbersome and hardware specific language, additions or further customizing of the monitor to suit a particular user's farming demands, become impossible to perform at a reasonable cost.
The user interface of the Steffen control and display panel is also lacking. A rotary switch and cumbersome UP/DOWN switches are mainly provided to facilitate user selection of one of a fixed, unvarying number of monitor functions, associated data for which are displayed on function predefined LCDs. Consequently, system reconfiguration for the purpose of adding new functions or controls, becomes all but impossible.
It is readily apparent, that the Steffen monitor was designed to be useful as a monitor and display unit of seed population data for farm implements provided with a limited number of row planting units, providing accurate detection of such population data only at low seed population densities. Many modern day farm planters have as many as 64 or more dispensing units. For such machines, the Steffen control and display panel makes effective monitoring by the operator all but impossible.
Additionally, with the advent of improved seed sensors capable of providing accurate detection at densities as high as one to five million plus seeds per acre, the sequential scanning process of the Steffen monitor is inadequate in terms of its ability to provide accurate seed population data to the user.
As seed sensor technology further continues to improve, monitoring of seed activity with conventional monitors becomes impossible. Consequently, there is a need for a monitor which will function equally well at high seed densities.
There is also a need for an improved monitor which is user friendly and easily reconfigurable for customization to most modern day planters including row-crop planters and grain drills. There is also a need for a monitor capable of connecting, remotely or otherwise, to an external device for the purpose of communicating monitor information to and from thereof. There is also a need for the display to be provided with its own dedicated memory so that the user may, at her option, retrieve and compare previously displayed data.
Additionally, as the demand for farm implements carrying as many as 64 or more planter units is becoming more common, there is a need for a monitor suitable for use with all types of planters, requiring little or no modification.
More recently, the surge of precision farming products and technologies, involving essentially the integration of a network of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) satellites with monitors, has created a demand for monitors that are easily expandable and easily configurable to accept technologies of the future. Consequently, there is a need for a monitor that is sufficiently advanced so as to be easily integrated with prospective GPS technology, as well as capable of being networked with external peripherals and the like equipment.